In Haiti, school is a lot different than in other countries.  90% of children in Haiti attend schools that are church-run or international private schools, meaning they are not state funded.  These schools are funded through tuition and fees.  In Belles Rivieres, the students pay their teachers directly by the hour.  Unfortunately, about half of the many students that attend the school do not have enough money to pay their teachers. 

Belles Rivieres means Beautiful Rivers in French.  When I visited Haiti to establish our sponsorship program, I had to walk several miles and through two of the beautiful rivers to get to the high school from the house I was staying in.  Many of the 400 students that attend the high school have to travel even further to get their education.  

The schools that we partner with in Belles Rivieres, Haiti are run by a local evangelical church.  The teachers at these schools have amazing hearts and choose to teach students even when they can’t pay.  However, this is problematic because the teachers need to provide for their families and the school can’t function without the funds it needs.  In the spirit of the vision of The Lily & The Sparrow, we chose to partner with the church that runs the schools to make sure that all of the children that attend their schools have the funding they need to get an education.

The Lily & The Sparrow has a team of five volunteers led by Suarel Thelamond, the principal of the high school.  They work together to make sure the funds get where they need to go.  The Lily & The Sparrow does not give cash benefits directly to the students or their families.  Instead, we pay the schools directly to cover the students’ fees and tuition.  This gives the school the funding it needs to function with excellence while making sure our sponsored children have continuous access to the education they need to break the cycle of poverty.

Thank you for partnering with us to empower people to transform their communities with the gospel.